Don’t you just hate the movie reviewers who sit there and judge every single flick that Hollywood produces as if it were supposed to be the next Citizen Kane? Or The Ten Commandments? Or The Birds? Why do so many reviewers across the country have a problem with judging the movies they watch simply on the basis of the movie itself?

We all know there are action movies worth seeing, and many more that are not. We all know there are comedies that will leave us nearly at the point of asphyxiation from laughter, and many others that leave us wondering why we just wasted six bucks and two hours of our time. You get the point.

So when I set out to review the TiBag, the invention of PowerBook G4 lover Sebastian Sindermann, I determined that I would judge the bag on its own merits, and not compare it to other bags that are out of its league, and vice versa.

The TiBag is a courier-style bag designed to be worn over one shoulder, like a backpack, or across the chest, messenger style. It features three main pockets, with two smaller ones. The first big pocket is on the flap of the TiBag itself, accessible through the large zipper that dominates the top of the flap. The flap affixes to the main compartment via a velcro strip at the bottom.

Be forewarned, however, that should you stuff the flap pocket full, you may be unable to get the velcro strips to stay connected. I tend to pack quite a bit around with my TiBook, and many a time did I find myself with the flap, well, flapping free.

Pulling back the flap, you are greeted first by a series of smaller pockets, which useful for pens, small note pads, and your disk carrier of choice. I also keep my TiBook’s extra battery in the small zippered pocket.

Behind this series of pockets, you are greeted with the TiBag’s two main compartments. Here lies the potential for some confusion, but the TiBag folks save the day with a handy instruction sheet, included with each TiBag. The first of these two compartments is for your Titanium PowerBook G4. The larger pocket, at the rear of the bag, has a small zippered flap pocket at the top, which could potentially scratch the TiBook. The first pocket is designed and sized specifically for the TiBook, and it fits like a glove.

The second, larger pocket, is thick enough to slide in a few magazines, and my Podium CoolPad will fit in there as well, provided none of the risers are on it.

Showing careful thought in terms of design and function, the TiBag also features a mobile phone/PDA holster that attaches to the main strap. This puts your phone or PDA within easy reach while the TiBag is over your shoulder. For me, this little extra is worth the price of admission alone, as I have found myself removing it (it attaches via the miracle of Velcro) from the TiBag and using it on my other backpack, for longer trips when I need more carrying space. Seeing as how this is a messenger-style bag, it only stands to reason that messengers would have mobile phones for staying in touch with their dispatcher and/or PDAs running custom software where clients can sign for their packages. This premise carries over to the mobile professional’s world perfectly. I simply cannot tell you how often I have found the holster invaluable, and my Palm V has taken up residence there.

The main strap the holster attaches to is also highly adjustable, again, thanks to Velcro. The TiBag designers realized that one size does not fit all. Even the same person will not keep the shoulder strap at the same length if they switch from over-the-shoulder carry to across-the-chest. The Velcro backing makes this adjustment fast and easy.

The TiBag has become my every-day use bag. Most of the time I am simply going from home to the office and back again, with the occasional off-site meeting. With this sort of schedule, I do not need to schlepp around a multitude of items; only the basic essentials. Having two AC adapters for my PowerBook, I do not even carry one of those around every day. One stays at work; the other remains at home, freeing up more space in the TiBag.

The quality of the TiBag is clear. It is constructed out of super-durable 600 Denier Polyester, with thick zippers that are easy to open and close. It looks great, and feels great, even when fully loaded. It is one of those items that just feels right, kind of like the TiBook it is designed to carry.

There is room for improvement, however, as far as this reviewer is concerned. While I love my TiBag, there are a few things I would like to see in the next revision of the product. First, I would appreciate a firmer seal on the main flap of the TiBag. The Velcro works great, but as I stated earlier, if the TiBag bulges, the flap will come loose and just flap around. Perhaps one of those two-piece, quick-click locks is the answer here. Second, I am not too fond of the way the pocket for the PowerBook is open at the top. A simple flap that seals via Velcro would do the trick, covering the part of the PowerBook that sticks out of the top of the pocket.

The TiBag is currently available only in black, with the silver TiBag logo. Other colors are slated for release in 2002, including blue, khaki, red, and silver. The TiBag sells for $39.95 plus shipping and handling, and is currently available only through www.tibag.com. The TiBag comes with a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects and features a thirty-day money-back guarantee. Sebastian Sindermann, TiBag designer and President, is so sure you’ll love his product that he’ll refund your money, minus shipping, if you are not absolutely satisfied. With that kind of offer, what do you have to lose?

If you are a TiBook owner, and need a simple bag for every day use that doesn’t require a ton of storage space, then I encourage you to check out the TiBag. This is not one of those computer bags that tries to do it all. Rather, it is perfect for every-day, back-and-forth, around-the-town use, without unnecessarily weighing one down. There is room for improvement, but this is a fine product to add to your PowerBook G4 arsenal.

Copyright © 2001 Christopher Turner, cturner@atpm.com. Contributing Editor Christopher reviewed the Podium CoolPad by RoadTools in last month’s issue of ATPM, and is currently trying to convince his wife of the need (yes, darn it, need!) of a second AirPort Base Station for their home. Reviewing in ATPM is open to anyone. If you’re interested, write to us at reviews@atpm.com.